Freedom
by RJ Morre
Summary: Dr. Blakk is cooking a plan that involves taking control of the only breeding ground for slugs that have been guarded by Slugterra's royal family for years. He uses Twist's trickery on the princess of Slugterra that plunges her into a world foreign to her filled with slug slinging and problems like will she fit in with the Shane Gang? Will she be able to help Eli save the day?
1. Chapter 1: Another Evil Plan?

Chapter 1: Another Evil Plan?

This had to be the hundredth factory that him and his team of sluggers blew up in order to foil Dr. Thaddius Blakk's plan to make more ghouls, Eli thought as he fired Brupy at his opponent only to have his best slug's attack countered by a shape shifting slug. Did he mention that each plan his team managed to foil always brought them into a grueling battle with his ex-teammate Twist? Well if it was some kind of revenge that Blakk had for foiling his scheme to make them pay for their victories than Twist was defiantly following his boss' orders to a tea.

"Come on Eli why don't you try something new for a change? Loki's getting bored of defeating all your lame moves," Twist taunted as he reloaded his best slug, Loki for another round with the person he once had to pretend to call him his friend. Eli grimaced before an idea popped in his head that was sure to blow the shape shifting back-stabber away literally.

"You know what I will, I would hate to let you down," Eli retorted back as he slipped his regular blaster back into its pouch, before he reached behind his back for another blaster. This blaster was longer than his old one and it had to wholes where you could put slugs in. Twist merely smirked at the blaster knowing that it would make no difference whether Eli improved his gun because he already knew that he was better than the young Shane, he had proved it on many occasions and today would be no exception.

"Bring it on," Twist encouraged as he saw Eli pointing his new twin blaster at him carrying both Burpy and Joules. With a confident nod Eli pulled the trigger that sent a massive attack of fire and electricity right at Loki that was trying to copy the powerful attack. But Twist's smile fell when he saw Loki continually shifting between a form that would block the fire slug and the electric slug; not quite sure which one would help him in the situation. Before Loki could make up his mind on the prefect counter to Eli's attack it was too late, Eli's attack defeated the slug shape shifter and caused both him and his master to be blasted several yards away from the battleground.

"Glad to see the twin blaster is fully operational," Trixi giggled as she spun her blaster around on her finger before putting it back into her pouch as she approached her leader.

"Yeah it's definitely a beaut!" Kroud whistled with amazement. Eli knew that was a good sign since his cave troll friend was a tech genius and all.

"So are all of the other goons taken care off?" Eli asked as he put his blaster away and picked up his two favorite slugs.

Before his two slinging buddies could give him a thumbs up on that question their molenoid, Pronto, pushed them aside and in a confident manner delivered his report on the situation. "Of course Pronto, the magnificent, made sure that all of our enemies were taken down swiftly and without mercy."

"Sure you did, and what are we chop liver?" Trixi sarcastically said as the rest of the group rolled their eyes at the short molenoid's antics.

"Well I guess you guys helped a little," Pronto admitted causing the rest of the gang to start to head back to their hideout completely ignoring Pronto's comment. Tonight they would celebrate another victory against the forces of evil in the hopes of one day they would defeat Dr. Blakk for good.

* * *

While the Shane gang celebrated, their former member Twist trudged himself back to Dr. Blakk's lair with his head hung in shame as well as fear, after all, people who failed his boss had a habit of disappearing one way or another. If it weren't for the fact that he knew that Dr. Blakk still needed him he wouldn't have bothered coming back to his lair up in the mountains of slugterra. As he approached his boss' office he took a deep calming breath before pushing open the door to see the doctor at his desk looking through paper work that were probably plans for his next scheme.

"Let me guess? You've come here to tell me you failed me yet again," Dr. Blakk stated calmly without taking his eyes off his work, which made Twist's nervousness come back with advengence. Suddenly he wasn't so sure that he wasn't going to end up like the others that came before him, because usually Blakk would at least show him some affection in his own evil way before threatening him not to fail him again. This calm indifferent persona was forging to the blond teenage boy.

"Yes sir."

"Well this has been your tenth failure in bringing down Eli Shane, and you know what I do with failure right?" Dr. Blakk asked with a sinister smirk on his face as he looked up to the now quivering teen.

Sweat rolled down Twist's back as he tried hard not to show how much fear, horror, and regret he was feeling at that moment. This was it, he thought, he was going to die after all he had to give up, after all he did to train. It all amounted to this moment; a moment he thought Dr. Blakk would be patting him on the back for following his orders. But no he was going to die right here and now all because of that stupid kid! The stupid kid who thought he was all that all because his father was legendary. Everything Twist ever wanted Eli had without lifting a finger fame and friendship.

"Yes sir."

"That's good, so you know what will happen if you fail this assignment I'm about to give you," Dr. Blakk said with a wide smile showing how pleased he was that he scared the crap out of the young teen.

With a shaky sigh Twist's nerves were settled knowing that this wasn't his last day to live and that he still had a chance to show Dr. Blakk his worth. When Dr. Blakk was sure he had Twist's undivided attention he went through his newest plot to bring down the Shane gang.

"Now Twist this is a very important mission that could be the difference between world domination of the slugs or complete and utter failure," Dr. Blakk begun as he continued to talk about the royal family in slugterra. The royal family held supreme power in slugterra the only thing stopping them from putting Dr. Blakk in jail was his connections within the royal family and the fact that they rather leave the law enforcement to the Shanes. Recently there has been a faction ever since the Queen died a year ago so her remarried husband and her daughter that came of age the year her mother died are fighting over supreme power. If her step-father, Count Darcy came into power Dr. Blakk would have control of the number one breeding ground in slugterra, since Count Darcy hated all slugs he didn't care what happened to them as long as Dr. Blakk took them away from the capital city of slugterra. All Twist had to do is get the precious princess out of the picture.

As Twist heard the plan the more he liked it, it would be an easy job to do with his slug's shape shifting abilities. Yes he would definitely be able to pull this off and show Dr. Blakk his worth but most importantly he would beat Eli Shane.

***Going to take this opportunity to say that updates for all of my stories are going to be slow, so be patient with me:) Anyway I hope you enjoy this! And Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Princess

Chapter 2: The Princess

The day was a bright sunny afternoon with the sun shining, birds chirping on treetops, and the occasional slug popping out to bask in the beautiful day. Everyone seemed to be out enjoying the good weather, well everyone except the occupants of a large cream stoned castle right in the center of slugterra. In one of the highest rooms in the castle a teenage girl gazed upon the people of slugterra getting ready for the slug festival coming up in two weeks. She sat on a window seat in her massive finely decorated room with an aura of gloom weighing down on her fair complexion. The misery that was evident in her emerald-green eyes caused a group of slugs to climb up on the window seat she sat on to comfort the young girl felt a nudging on her hand she snapped out her daydreaming of joining the villagers with their festivities to look down at her best friends.

"Are you guys worried about me?" the brunette haired girl questioned with a giggle as she smiled at her six slugs that her mother had given her when she was small to keep her company. She had a Tazerling slug named Shock, a Boon Doc slug named Remedy or Remy for short, a Frostcrawler named Icy, an Arachnet slug named Webs, a Flaringo slug named Torch, and finally her best friend out of all her slugs was a very rare slug called Diamondhead, which she named Crystal.

Crystal, who was a white slug with a few pink stripes a long her body that had skin that was as shiny and tough as an actual diamond, came up to her from the flock of slugs with a concerned look on her face. The girl picked up the slug and held her delicately in her hands as she smiled down at the creature to reassure her slugs that she was perfectly fine. But they didn't buy it by the skeptical look she saw on her best friend's face. "Fine you win as always Crystal. I want out of this castle, I want to be able to experience what being an actual kid is like...but most of all I want to be able to sling slugs to save Slugterra like them." The girl explained as she directed her gaze to a poster of the Shane Gang in cool poses with the slugs around them. Crystal's face lit up when her owner brought up the team of crime fighters, because like every slug she was born to be slung in slinging battles not being boxed into a castle.

"I hope that's only wishful thinking Princess Rona, and what have I told you about talking to your slugs?" a voice said that got both Rona and her slugs to turn around with grimaces as they looked towards Rona's royal adviser, Jonos. Out of everyone in the palace he was the biggest stick in the mud to the point Rona would've fired him a long time ago if it weren't for the fact that the twenty year old man's family has served the royal family for generations.

"Of course Jonos because it would be wrong to think about going outside like everyone else gets to do," Rona grumbled sarcastically as she redirected her attention back to the window fully discouraged with her adviser. Seeing this caused the young man wearing completely white royal robes to sigh knowing quite well how stubborn the princess could get when she didn't get her way.

"You know how dangerous it is out there for you and it doesn't help that you are the only heir in the way of your step-father getting supreme rule over the kingdom."

"I know but I still…"

"I know princess, how about you go walking around the royal court yard if you're so hungry for fresh air," Jonos bargained only to get a grumbled reply that sounded like 'No one lets me do anything fun' before the fifteen year old girl went storming out of the room with her slugs following her. As her slugs followed her they stuck out their tongues at Jonos who merely frowned at them in disdain. Him and his lady's slugs have never got along since he attempted to rid the castle of them by chucking them out the window.

* * *

Although the courtyard was a far cry from the freedom Rona wanted, she still felt herself lighten up a little as she breathed in the sweet fresh air that was a mixture of all the different flowers around her and felt the warm sunlight kiss her skin. _I guess this isn't so bad, if this is the closest I can get to the outside world_, she thought as she directed her attention towards her playful slugs. A soft smile grace her face as she saw them scurrying around either trying to catch butterflies or play some sort of game of tag. Being a prisoner of your home couldn't be so bad if her slugs did not feel the same emptiness that she felt, she concluded in her mind as the soft squeals of amused slugs and the hum of bugs around her lulled her to sleep.

During her sleep she had a dream that she had many times before, for a reason Rona could only guess was because it brought her back to the greatest day of her life. The day her and her mother came home with six of her closest friends.

_ "__Why are you crying my dear, Rona?" a sweet voice danced across the air so softly it was almost drowned out by the violent sobs that were coming from a little six year old girl with long brown hair tied up into a ponytail and deep emerald eyes that were filled with tears that rushed down the child's rosy plumb cheeks._

_ "__Jonos said that I can't play with the kids outside the castle," the child wailed as she ran towards her mother to cling desperately to her mother's baby blue gown for warmth and comfort._

_The woman that she had latched on to had the same chestnut colored hair that was usually tied up into a fancy braided bun but she had deep blue eyes that were filled to the brim with a depth of knowledge most of the people of slugterra could only dream of. Her mother merely giggled warmly at her daughter's predicament, which made the adorable little toddler frown at her. "I am sorry my child, but Jonos is right, out there is not a suitable place for someone as special as you Rona. I do not know what I would do if I ever lost you," The woman explained as she wrapped her daughter in a hug to soothe her._

_ "__It's not fair if I'm so special why can't I have friends like the other kids do?! Why am I the only one alone?" the girl sobbed louder with such conviction and hurt it saddened her mother. It was evident on her face that she knew how hard this type of life was going to be for her baby princess. All the rules and restrictions she was expected to obey especially the one rule about the outside world. She could neither step foot on it or make friends with those of the outside. Their subjects outside could not be trusted her first husband figured that out the hard way._

_ "__You are never alone Rona, you have me and Jonos-"_

_ "__Mom none of you have time to play with me. It's no fun playing slug slinger all by yourself."_

_ "__As always you are right my dear on such matters, but it would also be hard to play such a game without slugs either," the queen pointed out with an amused ring in her tone as her daughter's head snapped up from being buried in her dress to look into her mother's eyes with such wonder at the very thought of slugs that her mother sighed at her cuteness._

_ "__You're right I need slugs too…but where am I going to get slugs? You won't even let me past the royal sacred grounds," Rona said as her eyes fell back into dejection with the notion that she may never be able fulfill her dream of slug slinging like the other kids do outside her bedroom window._

_ "__Well you are very fortunate today, because today not only am I showing a very special guest into the royal sacred grounds. Those grounds will be covered with slugs as well."_

_The little girls eyes widen in amazement and joy as she searched her mother's face to make sure she was telling the truth. "Really can I keep some of them?" Rona shimmed with excitement as she scurried towards the door of her room while dragging her mother out with her. No matter how dignified her mother was she couldn't help but utter a warm laughter that showed how pleased she was with her daughter's reaction to the news. It didn't take the two women long before they met a man with combed back black hair, tan skin, light blue eyes, wearing slinging gear standing at the entrance of the royal sacred ground._

_ "__Greetings Will Shane, it is an honor to meet such a legendary slinger like yourself," the queen greeted while holding out her hand for the man to kiss softly as a form of respect._

_ "__Please Serafina, the honor is completely mine…and this must be the princess," Will said with a warm smile as he caught a glimpse of the tiny girl peaking from behind her mother to look at the man that her mother introduced as a slinger with wonder in her eyes. _

_ "__Come on Rona, greet our guest. I have to apologize Will she's not use to seeing visitors from the outside," the queen humbly apologized before nudging Rona towards the man where the girl gave him a sheepish curtsy._

_ "__She's adorable, my queen, so no apologies needed," the man said as he held out his hand towards the girl so he could guide her in while her mother opened the diamond gates of the sacred ground. _

_ "__Is it true that you're a slug slinger?" Rona finally questioned after staring at the man next to her as they walk into the forest behind the gates._

_ "__Yeah, I'm the best there is. I roam around slugterra using slug slinging to save your people," Will Shane said proudly especially as he noticed the little girl was now looking at him like how most children__ looked at superheroes or idols._

_Rona was about to express how cool she thought he was but before she could she was left utterly speechless by the amount of slugs in front her there had to be millions no billions of slugs roaming in the center of the clearing in a crowd. The very sight left her with an expression Will could only describe by comparing it to his own son who was about her age, on Christmas day. She ran towards the crowd of colorful slugs excitedly looking back and forward trying to figure out which slugs she wanted to take home with her._

_ "__Calm down child, take your time the slugs aren't going anywhere at least not until nightfall."_

_ "__Are you sure I'm allowed to take some, Jonos said that I wasn't allowed any pets in the castle," Rona asked as she recounted the time she tried to bring a frog she found in the courtyard back into the castle, let just say they had frog legs for dinner that day. So knowing that there was no way she wanted Jonos to hand the slugs over to the master chief._

_ "__Don't worry Princess Rona, slugs don't count as pets because they're more than that they're our friends," Will explained with a warm smile that only grew as he saw the girl's face fall into confusion as she looked towards him and then to the slugs several times._

_ "__I don't understand, slugs aren't humans so how can they be our friends?"_

_ "__It's a hard concept to grasp, and few can, but slugs are just like us, they need care, nurture, and love from us just like you get from your mother…isn't that right Burpy?" The man took out a small orange slug who happily perched itself on Will's shoulder. For several moments Rona stared at the slug until she moved closer to the little animal to take a better look at it as if she could prove whether Will was pulling her leg or not by doing so._

_ "__Are you really Mr. Shane's friend? And do you think that there will be slugs here that will want to be my friend as well?" the little girl asked not really expecting the slug to answer her, but her eyes widened with shock as the little orange slug made a few slug noises before bobbing his head up and down indicating to her that the slug did consider itself to be a friend of the famous slug slinger and that there would be other slugs that would want to be her friend as well._

_ "__Thank you Mr. Brupy!" Rona shimmed before dashing off into the field with a joyous air around her as she went around to every slug asking them if they would want to be her friend while promising that she would love them and feed them if they came back with her._

_Not every slug was interested in her offer but a few bounded into her hands as soon as she asked them to be her friend. Those five slugs ended up being the few slugs she had in her life today, but the addition of the last slug made her day complete. She had ran over to her mother while tripping several times to show her mother all her new friends that she placed either in her hands or on her shoulders._

_ "__So what have you named your new friends?" Will asked, which caused the young hyper girl to rattle of the names she had come up with too fast for either adult to catch which slug was named what._

_ "__I'm glad that you have found many friends, but I am going to present you with one more, her name is Crystal," Serafina announced as she brought out a slug that shone in the sun the same way a diamond would. The sight left the young girl wordless as she stare at the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. With an amused smile her mother placed the slug on her daughter's head and whispered into her daughter's ear that she should protect Crystal with her life and that she is the key to the slugs in slugterra…_

"Excuse me are you the princess?" a voice asked that woke the young teenager with a start as she quickly looked around to discover the source of the voice that had awoken her from her sweet dreams. She was shocked when she saw the person who had awoken her was a man wearing rags and had cuts and bruises that littered his body. Rona's first instinct was to guide this man into the castle for medical assistance but before she could it occurred to her why seeing this man here was so surprising to her. It wasn't the fact that he was dressed like one of the poorest commoners she had ever seen or the fact that he was bleeding on her perfectly manicured lawn, no it was the fact that his very presence wasn't suppose to be there. Not just anyone could step on royal grounds because of the security around here, which made her more suspicious of this character despite his obvious need for a doctor.

"What is your business with the princess?" Rona demanded as her slugs circled around her in attempt to defend her if this casual meeting turned into a violent one.

When the man with dark gray hair and brown eyes heard the slight fear in her tone he dropped to his knees in full submission, which only pushed the princess further into confusion at how this man came to be in the royal court house. "Please forgive me, but I must see the princess immediately!" The man shouted in desperation that caused something in Rona's heart to break. This man was one of her subjects and as the princess of Slugterra didn't she have a moral duty to take care of each person living in her kingdom?

"What's your name fellow? And what exactly is so important? If you tell me I will take you to the princess," Rona bargained with concern heavy in her voice that made the peasant raise his head towards her with a warm friendly smile that made Rona feel like she was making the right decision even though she knew Jonos or her mother would've never approved of this.

"My name is Paul Kander, the reason I have come here is because I recently escaped from a battle between the evil Dr. Blakk and the Shane gang, and as you can see the side of good isn't doing so well in-"

"Wait did you say Shane?! As in Will Shane the greatest slug slinger in the whole of Slugterra is losing to the forces of evil?!" Rona questioned with surprise and shock heavy in her voice. The last she heard of the name Shane was when she was a little girl. He was the man that taught her the true meaning of slug slinging and that the bond between a master and their slugs can be more than that of just mere weapons or pets.

At the mention of Will's name the man visibly flinched in sadness that made the princess' excitement at the prospect of hearing about the slug slinger after many years dwindle. "Sorry your majesty Will Shane is no longer with us, no the Shane I'm talking about is his sixteen year old son, Eli Shane."

The news caused the princess to lower her head in sadness, after all, she had always dreamed of meeting the man that taught her so much about slinging and slugs again. Silence remained between them until Rona broke out of her mournful state as many questions burned in her head that she wanted the commoner to answer. "How did Will die? What brought you here? And how did you manage to get passed security?" Rona blurted all at once as she searched the man's face for any evidence of him lying to her.

"Will Shane died bravely in a slug match against an evil man named Dr. Blakk and now that same evil man is out to do the same to Will's son. I came here to ask you to save him from befalling the same fate as his father," Paul declared earnestly with a great amount of hope that she will help them fight the forces of evil.

"You want me to help out the Shane Gang?!...but that is not the job of a princess, so please you should inform my advisors or my father that controls the royal army," Rona explained sadly as she remembered that leaving the castle and helping her subjects out with slug slinging problems had always been the job of the Shane or the person who held control of the army, and right now she lacked both qualifications.

This caused the man to kneel beside her and grab a hold of her hands with desperation. "Please princess I understand your duty, but Slugterra needs you. People once spoke of your mother settling wars between the forces of good and evil with a wave of her hand!" Paul exclaimed, but it still wasn't enough to convince the princess to go against everything she had ever been taught, so the man pressed on. "Plus, I know you are fighting against your step father for the throne, but if everyone sees that you saved them and the Shane Gang they will over throw your father and make you queen."

"Jonos my adviser told me that it would be better to stay here and fight rather than from outside the castle. If I leave the castle there won't be anyone standing in the way of my father doing whatever he wants."

"Princess, haven't you every dreamt of sling slugs with the greatest slug slinger in Slugterra?"

"Of course who wouldn't?" the girl answered with a shrug as she tried to contain her excitement as she looked back at all her dreams where she had taken down her opponents with of her six most precious friends.

"Well I'm giving you an opportunity to do just that, Eli is just as good as his father was, so please take my offer if not for yourself or for Eli, but for your slugs it must be boring for them to never get to battle anyone."

When the man said this Rona looked to her slugs that gathered around her with hopeful faces at the prospect of getting to do what they were born to do, fighting and being slung. At that moment Rona stood up while grabbing her slugs with determination burning in her emerald eyes. "I will help Eli and his friends," Rona declared after all she could no longer deny her friend the duty they were born to do.

"Thank you ever so much Princess Rona," the man thanked graciously before turning away from her and scurrying out of sight from the princess. Before Rona could question Paul's motives she saw Jonos coming up to her with the stern look he always wore.

"Princess, you've spent hours out here, I believe it is time to come back in and see to your studies," Jonos stated with a serious face that dared the princess to complain, but she kept her mouth shut and obediently followed her adviser back into the castle while staring off into the direction the commoner had ran off to with curiosity of whether she made the right decision.


	3. Chapter 3: Escaping

Chapter 3: Escaping

Rona felt a slight tapping on her arm as she quickly scribbled a few things down. It was Crystal reminding her about what she had promised that old man, with a smile Rona set down her fountain pen and allowed her favorite slug to hop on to her head before snuggling comfortably in Rona's thick long brown hair. The rest of her slugs eagerly hoped into glass blasters for easy transport as Rona made her way towards her closet.

"Ok guys if we're going to make this work, I'm going to need to find something to wear that doesn't scream 'look-out a princess coming through,'" Rona mumbled as her eyes rapidly scanned her vast closet for something that didn't have frills until her eyes fell upon her the slinging outfit she had begged her mom to buy for a couple of years ago. At the sight of it her slugs started to cheer, which caused her to smile as she prayed that the white tank top and black mini skirt still fit her. To her amazement and fortune the outfit she loved to wear when she was thirteen, before her mother remarried causing all the rules placed upon her to get a whole lot stricter; still fit her perfectly like a glove even after the growth spurt she went through this year. To put the finishing touches on her slinging outfit she pulled on a pair of black fingerless gloves and knee high black boots.

"Now I'm ready for my mission Crystal," the young teen announced as she grabbed her somewhat in good condition green blaster before heading towards her window. She had to judge this just right she thought after all one wrong step could alert her strict and bossy royal adviser that would be coming any moment to inform her that it was dinner time. She spun the blaster in her hand a few times before placing her hand out to her web slinging slug, Web. "Ok, Web do your thing," Rona cheered quietly and Web winked at her before hopping into her blaster; without wasting a second Rona pointed her blaster out of her window and pressed the trigger that sent her Arachnet that transformed and spun a web bellow her window. _Here goes nothing,_ Rona thought as she bit back her fear and stepped into the air in front of her while covering her mouth successfully stifling a terrified scream that would blow her cover. The air whipped through her body for several moments as gravity pulled her towards the web that her slug had created, even though she knew she would land safely she still had to take a few breaths before moving on to the next phase of her breakout once she felt the soft bouncy material of the web underneath her.

"Good job," Rona praised as Web came bouncing towards her with a cheerfulness Rona had never seen and attributed to the fact that this was the first time her slug was actually slung for something other than just practicing her shot. Some how just seeing how happy her slugs were convinced her further that she was making the right choice. It didn't take her long to execute her break away into a world of freedom as she fired Web again that pulled her over the gates of her castle. Once her feet landed outside the royal grounds she felt a smile stretched across her face as she looked out on the vast land of her kingdom. A part of her kingdom she never dreamed about ever seeing from this perspective; up close and not from a birds-eye view from her room. This was it, she thought as excitement bubbled through her as she began to run as fast as her legs could take her; eager to start the adventure of a lifetime. She was going to save her beloved heroes while calming her mother's legacy without being confined to her room for the rest of her life.

* * *

"Status report on our little princess?" an eerie voice demanded on the other line of the phone as a man with onyx colored hair and piercing brown eyes stared out towards the setting sun of the horizon as he watched a black speck move further away in the distance. A sinister smile graced the well-dressed man as a deep chuckle ushered out of his throat.

"Don't worry Blakk your man did his job," the man assured as he continued to look out into the distance until he could no longer see his dear stepdaughter's figure anymore. The very sight made his grin grow as he heard a satisfied Blakk usher out his own evil laughter; both agreeing that the master plan was going even better than they had ever hoped.

* * *

It had been hours since Rona had escaped the castle and at first she felt like a boulder of weight had dropped from her shoulders, she was free from the walls of the boring tedious castle she had grown up in. But within those hours she begun to realize that maybe she should've thought this whole adventure idea through a little more thoroughly or at least enough to have secured a mode of transportation. There was a reason why her parents had rode in carriages on the odd occasions that they did leave the castle and a reason that the slug slingers rode on Mecha beasts. Slugterra was a huge place and every second she moved closer to where Rona thought the Shane gang's hideout was the more her legs ached from trudging around in the soft soil of her kingdom. And if that wasn't the least of her problems she could hear the rumble of both her and her slugs' stomachs that tried to hide their hunger the best they could to encourage their best friend to keep on going.

The situation that Rona was faced with left her face with a painful frown as she willed herself to keep on traveling until they could find a town to seek shelter and food even as her surroundings got darker with the sun completely set over Slugterra. "This has to be the worst plan to escape ever," Rona whispered angrily to herself causing Crystal, who was still placed comfortably on her head, to give her a sympathetic look, which Rona could only take as the slug's way of telling her that it could be worst or that there had to be worst plans out there. Either way nothing her slugs could do or say was going to make this situation any better, but at least it couldn't guess worst she thought. And almost on cue she plummeted into misery as she felt the shadow of rain fall upon her before it turned into a full on down pour. _Correction now this was the worst plan ever planned_ she thought sarcastically as she theorized that Mother Nature hated her for some reason.

It wasn't long before the rain seeped into her very being, drenching her from head to toe, making her movement even more sluggish and agonizing as she carried not only her weakening body but also the load of the water that was weighing her down. By now her surroundings were pitch black with the light of the moon hidden behind rain clouds causing her to barely see her legs moving in front of her much less feel them moving as the rain chilled her to the bone leaving her limbs numb.

Right as she believed she was going collapse in the middle of nowhere where she was pretty sure she wasn't going to survive she started to hearing yelling, the booming sound of slugs getting fried, and colliding with each other. The disturbance in the once silent darkness sparked life into her as everything clicked in her mind. If there were people slinging slugs than she had to be close to a village or somewhere she could at least rest for a little while in. Her legs took her closer and closer until she could see lights of slugs transforming once they hit velocity, but she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw a transformed slug coming right at her. The slug illuminated the darkness around her with a brilliant orange fire that rival one of Slugterra's brightest days. The winged beast zoomed right towards, but before the slug could see her or make any movement to avoid her knowing she was far from it's intended target it was too late. _Can I stand corrected again?_ Rona thought as she closed her eyes and used her arms to try and protect herself from the burning slug. The heat scorched her skin causing a cry of pain to usher out of her mouth before she felt arms wrap around her instantly dragging her towards the ground to avoid the full impact of the slugs attack. She slam her head across a rotting log during the fall, causing her to lose her grip on consciousness, but before her world went totally black she saw a glimpse of her saviors dirt blond hair.

* * *

"I can't believe we let Twist slip through our hands again," Kroud complained as the gang searched through the darkness in the hopes of finding their double-crossing friend. But to their dismay the night was silent and barren again like they had found it before they were randomly ambushed by Twist. The gang was about to give up when they saw a brilliant flame of orange little up the darkness.

"Eli, what's Burpy doing over there?" Trix questioned as she tried to get a better look for herself before Eli could answer her question.

"I think he's trying to tell us something…" Eli broke off as they got close enough to see what his best slug was trying to tell them. The very sight that his infernus illuminated left them speechless as they started upon a medium size teenage girl with flowing brunet hair unconscious before them with a bloody head wound and burn marks across her arms.

"My expert molenoid senses are telling me that this slug hurt this beautiful damsel," Pronto observed causing everyone to glare at him specially since his words made the orange slug whimper with guilt knowing that it was his fault that the young girl was laying wounded on the muddy ground.

"Don't listen to him Burpy, this is my fault after all I was the one firing you…but I could've swore that I had a clear shot at Twist."

"Whatever you thought doesn't matter right now, we have to figure out what we're going to do with her considering there isn't any healing bays we can send her to that are close to here," Trix informed in order to get her friends back on track to deal with the matter at hand.

"Well there's medical supplies at the hideout, so let's take her there," Eli suggested as he moved to pick up the girl, but was stopped by a huge blue arm that belonged to the coolest cave troll he knew.

"Hold up we can't just take her to our hideout, I mean you remember the last person we took there? He ended up being one of Blakk's henchmen-"

"Kroud this is different," Eli retorted with irritation that his friend would bring that mistake up at a time like this. He could understand if the girl wasn't hurt, but she was and it was all his fault. He couldn't just leave her out there to die not when it was his slug slinging skills that brought her to such a miserable state. Despite Kroud still feeling suspicious he helped Eli carry her gently on to Eli's Mecha Beast, Lucky, before the famed heroes of Slugterra took off towards their hideout.

***Ok sorry this may seem rushed, but I wanted to get it up, so enjoy and review. Oh yeah Happy Thanksgiving!:D **


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting the Shane Gang

Chapter 4: Meeting the Shane Gang

Once at their hideout they gently carried the injured inside to place her on one of the couches in their living room. Eli didn't waste anytime getting to work patching up their mystery guest after Trixie sarcastically handed the first aid to him after watching him and Burpy frantically look for it. The heir to the Shane name had just started cleaning the girl's burns when they all heard a squeak of both pain and surprise. This instantly got the Shane Gang's attention as the rest of Eli's team came rushing into the living room to see Eli staring up at the mystery girl with the same amount of shock that was registered in her eyes. Before either Eli or his friends could break out of their shock six slugs surrounded the girl that they had saved and started to growl at the heroes as a defense mechanism for hurting their friend and owner.

"Guys calm down I'm fine…or at least for the most part," the girl spoke with a warm smile that snapped Eli out of his shock before the others. He could tell that anyone that could such warmth to their slugs couldn't be that bad.

"Hi, I'm Eli Shane-"

"Eli Shane!" the girl gasped as she tore her attention away from her slugs that were snuggling into her to their concern for her injuries. When Rona actually focused on the boy in front of her more carefully he did look a lot like the man who taught her about slugs when she was younger. "You look a lot more like Will Shane than the pictures give you credit for."

"Did you know my father?" Eli asked with confusion as he tried to remember anything from his father's notes that would give any hint to his own question.

"More importantly who are you and why did you walk right into the middle of a slug fight?" Kroud demanded trying to keep his voice as friendly as possible, but by the elbow in the gut he got from Trixie he obviously didn't do such a good job.

Rona scanned the room with her eyes for a moment as she tried to compose her thoughts. She was still trying to believe she was actually in the Shane gang's hideout, surrounded by Slugterra's finest slug slingers. If she didn't think it would make her look weird she would've probably asked one of her slugs to pinch her. This was her dream come true to finally get to experience what she has been missing her whole life, she was free at least until her mission was finished.

"We're waiting-" this earned Kroud another elbow from Trixie.

"Sorry, my name is Ron…Ronnie, Ronnie Fairworth, and as for the reason I walked into the slug battle is because I've been wondering the forests of Slugterra and when I saw slugs being slung I thought I could find some people to give me and my slugs some food," the princess explained sheepishly hoping that no one would catch on to the lie about her name or the fact that she wasn't giving them the whole truth.

To her relief everyone well all except Kroud seemed to buy her story as Eli continued to patch her up. "Ronnie…that's an unusual name…it seems like everyone we let into the hideout has weird names…ow, Trixie quit it," Kroud yelped as he rubbed his side from yet another elbow from their ginger teammate before she came closer to the new girl.

"Why were you wondering around the forest of Slugterra at night?" Trixie asked as she joined Eli in dressing the princess' wounds.

"Well I guess ever since Eli's father taught me about slugs and slinging I have always wanted to repay him so when I heard that you guys were having trouble defeating Dr. Blakk I decided I wanted to help out," Ronnie replied thinking quickly on her feet to make her cover story somewhat believable. As if her slugs could sense her struggling they came towards Eli and Trixie to puff out their chest to add more confidence to their friend's story and to show them that they were just as strong as any of their slugs. The sight caused both Eli and Trixie to giggle as they watched Ronnie's slugs trying to show of their powers.

"Well welcome Ronnie, sorry that you got burnt by Burpy I didn't mean to aim at you. But we would be happy to have an extra-"

"Eli quick group meeting!" Kroud demanded causing both Eli and Trixie to roll their eyes at how paranoid the cave troll was being but they gave in after all he did have a good reason to be suspicious since the last person they let on the team almost got everyone killed.

Right before Eli left Burpy that was standing on his shoulder hopped into Ronnie's lap and started to snuggle into her to show how sorry he was. "It's okay Burpy, it wasn't your fault…I wonder do you remember me from when I was a little girl. You were right there were a lot of slugs that wanted to be my friend," Ronnie said as she patted the Infernus on the head before he nodded eagerly to her question.

Before either Burpy or Ronnie could react Pronto sent Burpy flying out of the princess' gasp as he grabbed hold of her hands with a love struck look upon his face that more or less disturbed Ronnie. "While the team talks how about we-"

"You too Pronto!" Trixie scolded as she dragged Pronto with them. Right before Eli left the room for the meeting he picked up Burpy while looking back at the girl he had just met playing with her slugs while a slug that shone like the sun laid comfortably on her head. No matter how he looked at her, and some how he felt he could stare at her forever, he knew he couldn't find anything evil in her. She had an air of kindness and beauty he's never seen before, to sum it all up she was pure good and no amount of Dr. Blakk's trickery could imitate it.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys are so willing to let her on the team after what happened with Twist," Kroud began as he raised a skeptical eyebrow at his three friends that were looking at him as if he was taking the whole Twist mistake too far.

"Yeah we got it Kroud, but not everyone that shows up to help our cause is an evil henchman of Dr. Blakk's plus I don't know what it is about her, but I like her and it wouldn't be so bad to have another girl on the team."

"Wait there is going to be two girls on the team?" Pronto teased, which earned him one of Trixie's classical whacks to the head.

"I agree with Trixie, I mean Dr. Blakk wouldn't try to trick us with the same trick and nothing indicates that she's evil. I mean if what she says is true than she was taught by my father-"

"Eli that doesn't make her automatically good and there was an if in that statement."

"Fine there is an if in that statement but I believe it I mean even Burpy remembers her and has taken a liking to her, and you know how hard it is to get Burpy's sign of approval."

"Yes my cave troll friend as I have said before Burpy is one smart slug," Pronto added causing Burpy to puff out his chest in pride that even the prideful molnoid still thought highly of him.

"Fine she can stay only if she answers a few questions like where did she come from? And we test her slug slinging abilities tomorrow," Kroud bargained causing the rest of his friends to sigh at the fact that they couldn't just except this girl into their little make shift family.

* * *

"I wonder what they're talking about in there…do you think they like me guys?" Ronnie questioned out loud as she began to worry about whether she had done something wrong that would make them kick her out or may be they caught on to her little white lies? She really wished she could tell them the truth but she escaped the castle in order to save Slugterra while experiencing the life she always dreamt of and she couldn't do that if everyone knew she was a princess. Before she could go deeper in her negative thoughts she felt something hard tape her on the head. "Ow, Crystal why must you always do that?" she asked as she looked up towards her best friend still perched peacefully on her head. After some slug noises and seeing her slug snuggling into her to give her courage she understood that no matter what happened they would always be by her side. Ronnie was just about to show her gratitude to her slugs when she saw the Shang gang return. This time they all walked towards her with some baring warmth and welcome on their faces, while others weren't exactly to please with whatever the verdict was of their little meeting.

"So what happens now?" Ronnie asked nervously as she fiddled with the fingers as she prepared for the next step of her initiation into the gang, as well, as the possibility that they might kick her out.

"We just want to know a few things about you…ummm…let's start with you introducing your slugs to us," Eli answered while giving Kroud an uneasy smile as his cave troll of a friend glared at him for trying to avoid the more important questions right off the bat. It wasn't like Eli thought that she wouldn't be able to answer the questions that Kroud wanted answers for he just wasn't comfortable doing a full on integration on someone they were thinking of excepting as a friend.

"Well that's easy, this is my Tazerling slug named Shock, my Boon Doc slug named Remedy or Remy for short, my Frostcrawler named Icy, my Arachnet slug named Webs, my Flaringo slug named Torch, and my best friend named Crystal, she's a Diamondhead," Ronnie introduced her slug proudly as she held each one up in turn so the Shane gang could better identify her slugs.

The light that shone in her eyes further convinced Eli that she was a genuine person. "I can't believe there's someone else that names their slugs."

"Why shouldn't I? Growing up in the Capital of Slugterra I didn't have any friends until both my mother and Will Shane introduced me to these six slugs and they've been my friends ever since, haven't you guys?" Ronnie asked her slugs only to have them jump around with a cheer of agreement towards her statement.

"If you grew up in the Capital how did you manage to get that Diamondhead slug? They are one of the rarest slugs ever," Trixie almost exclaimed with excitement as she tried to take a better look at Crystal that sassily hid herself from the slug enthusiast.

"Come on Crystal don't be like that…sorry she's a little shy," Ronnie apologized as she struggled slightly to move Crystal away from her head so that everyone could see her. When she did the light around the room that hit the skin of the slug reflected to form rainbows all around them causing ews and ahs from the Shane gang. "I'm not sure where she was found, my mother gave her to me after I had found my other five slugs. All she told me was that Crystal is a very important slug."

"Make sense, legends says that no one really knows where they live or were they reproduce because they don't show their face around slug slingers because they have miss used their special powers in the past," Trixie informed them.

"Wow your mother must be something to find one of those slugs, maybe we can ask her where to find them sometime, " Kroud said trying to add some of his questions without angering his friends for integrating their guest and prospective new family member.

"That would be good if…she hadn't died a year ago," Ronnie answered as her eyes clouded with sorrow. Ever since her mother died she hadn't really had to talk about it and just bring it up with her new friends brought up buried pain and hidden wounds.

Eli couldn't help but feel the urge to give her a hug and comfort her, as she sat in front of them looking like she was about to fall to pieces. But Trixie beat him to it as she hugged the smaller girl while rubbing her back to comfort her along with the princess' slugs that knew all to well the burden the queen's death left on the poor girl.

"I'm sorry I didn't know," Kroud apologized genuinely as he begun to rethink his opinion of the girl, maybe Eli was right. After all he has never known even Twist to be such an actor when it came to matters like this. If it were possible for a someone to literarily fall apart in front of you and it was all an act Kroud knew he would never be able to trust anyone else again.

"It's okay, actually I've never really talk to anyone about it, but I think it has something to do with your father."

"My father?"

"Yeah she passed away the same day she heard that something had happened to your father, I had no idea that he also passed as well."

"I wonder what kind of relationship your mother and my father had?" Eli wondered out loud as he tried to remember the information in his father's notes harder and whether they ever mentioned a woman and her daughter, but he kept on coming up with nothing.

"I think they were really good friend's, because he came to visit whenever he could, and when he did he would teach me how to sling, he even gave me my own blaster the last time he came to visit us," Ronnie explained as she held out her blaster knowing that after seeing Will's signature on it would make them believe at least that she had known Eli's father and that she was on their side whether they knew her complete story or not. She let Eli reach out and take a look at her blaster to see that it wasn't any ordinary blaster it was a double brawl blaster that could be used for one slug or two at anytime. Why would his father entrust such a blaster to a young girl? May be his father saw something in her that would allow them to finally defeat the forces of evil in Slugterra? This realization made Eli a hundred percent positive that they could trust this girl. If his father did then he had to as well.

"I think question time is over, so let me be the first in welcoming you to the Shane gang Ronnie Fairworth," Eli announced causing both Ronnie and her slugs to cheer as Pronto declared that he would make a magnificent feast to celebrate their new teammate. Although, Kroud wasn't a hundred percent sure of the girl's loyalty he still part took in the celebration as he pushed suspicion away at least for now.

It didn't take long for Pronto to whip up a meal fit for many kings…well it would've been fit for many kings in Ronnie's mind if she didn't have a plate filled with a molnoid delicacy that looked like slob. It wasn't exactly what she was used to coming from being raised in the palace with the finest chiefs in all of Slugterra cooking her every meal. Instead of bring down the party, she cheered and laughed a long with her new friends while letting her slugs dig into the Shane gang's _expert_ chief's cooking. Although not many of her new friend noticed the lack of food that entered her mouth, but Eli did. Once she felt that the party was dwindling with Pronto passed out on the table due to eating too much and Kroud excusing himself to go tinker with their mechabeasts, the newest member of their team excused herself to an empty room showed to her by Trixie after yawning with an exhausted look upon her face.

The room she soon found herself in was a medium size room with a blue hammock hung right next to a window that Ronnie could see almost all of Slugterra from, including the big luxurious castle she had once lived in. The sight brought feelings of uncertainty and guilt, especially since she knew that Jonos would've figured out that she was missing and probably already sent an army of guards to find her after reading the letter she left him. Just thinking about the whole ordeal made the words she had quickly wrote down in her letter flow through her head.

_Dear Jonos,_

_By the time you read this letter I will have probably ran away from the castle. I know what you're thinking: How could she? She knows her duty is in the castle, she should no better than to break such a sacred rule. I know I have broken the number one rule that you and my mother have been drilling in my head ever since I was a child. But I've been constrained for so long within the gates of my own home…I have had to give so much up but as the princess I've been trained to never regret those choices. And as a princess I will not regret this choice to save my people, so please don't look for me I'll be fine._

_-Love Rona_

Thinking back on it now she knew those words would never be enough to heal the anger and betrayal that must be boiling up within Jonos, and he had every right to be. He had promised my mother that he would take care of her with his life and here she was preventing him from carrying out his word to the queen he had served ever since his father had brought him to the palace when he was six. If only there had been a better way to pursue this mission than maybe she wouldn't have had to hurt…

She was broken out of her ministrations on her previous actions earlier that day by her door opening to reveal Eli with a warm smile baring what looked like a ham sandwich.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you since you probably had a rough day today, but if it helps I came baring a gift," Eli spoke with a smile that grew into laughter when he heard a grumbling sound from the younger teen's stomach.

His eyes softened over her as he saw her cheeks were dust in an adorable baby pink blush as she held her stomach. "Thanks," she murmured shyly as her eyes wondered towards her slugs sleeping around her knees to avoid Eli's gaze.

"No problem, sorry about Pronto's cooking. The scary part is that you actually get use to it after awhile," Eli replied in a light teasing voice that made giggles swell out of Ronnie's mouth as Eli handed her the plate. For moments Eli simply watched the girl consume the sandwich hungrily, while taking note how stunning she looked as the light from the moon outlined her pale, blushed face in the dark room.

"Well, whether that time comes sooner or later I don't mind eating the sandwiches that you make, there delicious," Ronnie chirped with a cheerful smile, but when she saw Eli's face begin to turn red she started to reflect on her choice of words, which only made her blush deepen into a violent red. "I-I-I'm sorry I meant that any sandwich would taste good…" Ronnie sputtered as she tried to find the right words to fix the situation.

"It's no worries I've been told that I make a mean ham sandwich," Eli joked with a fringed prideful face that made the princess in disguise swell with laughter again. Eli made another note to himself to work on making her laugh more for her laughter seemed to fill his chest with an emotion he was quite familiar with. After that the room became silent, not the awkward type but the comfortable type of silence that just felt right to both teens.

Eli decided to break the silence with a clearing of his throat as if to indicate to himself, to switch back to leader of the Shane gang mode to announce the message he had also come into the girl's room to deliver. "I also came up here to tell you to make sure you get a lot of sleep, because we're all waking up early to test your slug slinging skills."

After that Ronnie was left in the room alone with her slugs once again after agreeing to be on time and exchanging good nights. When the door to her room was closed and she could no longer hear Eli's foot steps Ronnie let out a long sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding ever since the most embarrassing moment of her life happened moments before. What interrupted her recovery from her encounter with her new leader was an irritating jab from her best friend. Ronnie looked down to see Crystal jumping up and down making a kissy face that the princess could only interrupt to her embarrassment was that her slug thought she was in love with her new leader and the son to her all time hero.

"Th-th-that's impossible, Crystal I just met him less than five hours ago! There's no way I like him like that I don't even know him…plus you know it would never work out, not when all princess must be with the partner the royal family choices for them," Ronnie yelled; however by the time she finished her flustered rant she was whispering the last few words as she sunk into her new bed for the time being and closed her eyes to end the obviously hard subject for her. Crystal stopped her teasing only to replace it with a look of pity at her best friend as she did the same, thus ending their first eventful day on their adventurous journey.


End file.
